Just Ask Her
by Fluttering Fairy
Summary: “Oh no, not another one” Ron moaned as he read the sign posted on the door of the Great Hall.


DISCLAIMER: J.K Rowling created Harry Potter and owns everything to do with him. And I am not her. Or am I?

NOTE: This scene randomly popped into my head and I finally broke down and wrote it out. It is indeed very short, and might one day have more added to it (but for now just enjoy a light read). Don't feel obligated to reveiw. Oh wait, please do. Come on, give into peer pressure! Review!

* * *

"Oh no, not _another_ one" Ron moaned as he read the sign posted on the door of the Great Hall.

_The Yule Ball_

_Will be held once again on December 25_

_Beginning at 8 o'clock in the Great Hall_

_Please wear proper dress robes and be on time. _

_Signed, Minerva McGonagall_

Harry read the notice and sighed. "I guess Dumbledore was serious about cheering the students up this year."

"_Cheer us up_? The memories of that bleeding ball are enough to drive anyone into a year long depression" Ron said scathingly.

"_I_ had an alright time" Hermione announced. She had just come down from the common room and Ron hadn't seen her arrival until she spoke those words.

"Well—well, I guess I didn't fancy the music much" As Ron tried his best to recover, Harry simply smirked: Hermione and his red-headed best friend had never spoken about their argument after the first Yule Ball. It was a silent rule that the three of them were never allowed to bring the incident up.

"We should go find seats for lunch then" Ron finished.

"Yes, let's go" Harry added, eager for a meal after a long morning of arduous lessons.

The trio plopped into their seats as Neville and Ginny walked over.

"Parvati's already planning her hairstyle" Ginny told Hermione, shaking her head. "She said besides the perfect partner, the hairstyle is the _most_ important thing."

Harry rolled his eyes and said bluntly, "I'm certainly not asking her again."

"Yeah" Ginny added, "It's a good thing we can pick someone different this time, no offense Neville."

"None taken" Neville replied, although he looked slightly crestfallen.

"Ron's just lucky he's got better dress robes now" Ginny teased.

Ron looked up from his mashed potatoes and gave his little sister the evil eye, determined to remain out of the conversation entirely.

"Well, I'm not really going to worry about the ball—the term ends soon so exams are a bit more important..." Hermione seemed to think this would end the fuss, but it didn't: Seamus now joined the group.

"I wasn't really planning on staying here for Christmas," he said, "but now I guess I will. Everybody fourth year and up is, it'd be a shame to miss the party....just got to find meself a date"

"Don't we all?" Ginny laughed.

Seamus sniffed the air very obviously. "What's that smell? Oh, I know....its sexual tension!"

A few more gossipy remarks were made before the hysteria died down and they all started on lunch.

* * *

Harry was finishing his end-of-term homework, curled up in an armchair by the fire after dinner was long over. Ron lay sprawled on the rug, also consumed by work. Everybody else had already gone up to bed, which gave Harry a unique opportunity to press an uncomfortable subject. 

"So....ball's in a few weeks....I guess we shouldn't wait till the last minute to find partners like last time, huh?"

"No, guess not" Ron said, sticking his quill in his mouth in thought.

"I don't really know who I'm going to---"

"What about Cho?"

Harry laughed darkly. "Nope, _defiantly_ not. You know the story."

"Right..." Ron said, "You could ask Hermione....." Ron looked very keen to hear the answer to this suggestion. He was sitting up now, watching Harry closely.

Harry felt like he was being tested. "Nah" he said, "She's sort of like a sister or something, and it'd be weird."

"Well, you _could_ just ask Ginny, she's not with Dean anymore"

"Maybe"

"Why not?"

"I dunno" Harry thought, "_maybe_."

The awkwardness of this conversation was increasing by the second.

"I just don't want to go with Padma again" Ron sighed.

"So ask Hermione"

"What?"

"Just ask Hermione, I'm sure she'd go with you. 

"Did she tell you that??"

"No, but..._oh come on_...." Harry was sick and tired of Ron playing stupid on this subject. "You know you wanted to ask her last time---"

"—No, I wanted Fluer, and---"

"Oh shut up, you prat, you _know_ you're going to ask her, I just wanted to hear you say it."

Ron muttered "maybe" and went back to his Transfiguration assignment.

* * *

It was pure torture for Harry the next day in Charms, sitting in between Ron and Hermione. The "Yule Ball Part 2" gossip was only intensifying as the date grew closer, and Harry was tired of his friends acting so peculiar around each other. It was time, he decided close to the end of class, to take drastic action. Instead of copying down the incantations like the rest of the students, he scribbled a note to Ron: 

_Just ask her_

Ron looked mortified after reading the message. His ears turned red as he scrawled back:

_Damn you_

Harry couldn't hold back a snigger; Hermione gave both of them her 'you should be _taking_ notes, not _writing them to each_ other' glare. Harry, of course, ignored her and continued:

_Hermione would go with you, trust me. Ask her, or I'll do it for you. _

Ron turned very pale. Harry wasn't actually about to do such a thing, but maybe this was the only way to get the message across. Ron quickly wrote:

_Not funny—I'll kill you dead, I swear. _

Harry burst into laugher at this response, which caused a sudden shift in the class' attention. _Oh Shit_, Harry thought. "Sorry....these spells...they're just so...funny"

Professor Flitwick did not seem amused. Normally genial, he had been much stricter since they had started on the N.E.W.T level.

"You think Protection Charms are funny?" The tiny professor smiled weakly, "just continue copying them down, if you would please Harry."

"Right, sorry"

"It's quite alright, just pay attention please."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and proceeded to snatch the crumpled note off Harry desk.

"Be respectful" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Harry's eyes widened in horror and he let out an audible "Oops".

Ron realized what had just happened. He turned tomato red, jaw clenched, as though ready to actually kill Harry, or run from the room screaming.

"Alright" Professor Flitwick announced, "Class is dismissed; make _sure _you're studying for term finals."

Ron bolted from his seat towards the door, exiting before anyone else had even gotten up.

"What's up with him?" Hermione inquired as students began shuffling to lunch.

"Oh...well...it's just..." Harry stammered, unsure of whether to ask for the note back. He decided it was best to play dumb.

"I have no idea....

"Maybe you should ask him about it though" he added with a sly grin.


End file.
